


Nasty Secrets

by Smart_heart



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Anti Zelena, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 16:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15889626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smart_heart/pseuds/Smart_heart
Summary: Belle is pretty fond of her colleague Aurum Gold. But there seems to be something off with him. Like the constant bags under his eyes, the eternally exhausted behavior and the way he finches whenever their boss, Zelena Wicked, enters the room...





	Nasty Secrets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The mighty rembeller](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+mighty+rembeller).



> This was inspired by a prompt by themightyrumbeller on tumblr. No, the first chapter isn't really good, cause I spent a lot of time having no inspiration despite the amazing prompt and recently I just took back to writing because I was so angry I hadn't finished earlier and did whatever I could. I promise the next chapters will be better

As soon as he got home, Aurum Gold threw himself on the sofa and screamed into a pillow, until the scream became crying and the pillow was wet from his violent sobbing. He had just tried to submit his job application to another company, and it was refused. Again. And only because he didn’t have a damn recommendation letter.

Gold got up, going to his bedroom’s toilet to wash his face. He had been trying to find a new job for almost a year now, but never got it, and all because his current boss was an influent woman. Every time a company though about hiring him, she found a way to convince them not to. And now, the first time he found a company that didn’t have good relations with The Wicked Print Shop, he needed a recommendation letter he was sure he wouldn’t get.

Not because he was a bad worker, of course. He had always considered himself extremely hard-working, the problem, obviously, was Zelena. She wouldn’t just get let her little pawn go this easy.

After taking a shower, he went to his kitchen and poured himself a glass of something strong before reaching for his cell phone and staring at his boss’s contact. He really didn’t want to do it. Not tonight. But he doubted she’d accept any excuse.

“good night, ms. Wicked. I’m feeling unwell this evening, may I stay home tonight?” he texted.  
“Nice try. I expect u here in 1 hour” the answer came a few minutes later, making him cry again. For once, he was glad his Bae was at Emma’s house for the night and not at home. This way he had a few minutes to cry in peace.  
_____________________

Right after entering the office, Belle smiled happily at her coworker, who was half heartedly tipping something on the computer. Her smile faded as she saw his face. There were dark circles under his eyes, which showed no emotion. His clothes were kneaded, his hair was unkept and his skin pale, the whole thing gave him the appearance of a zombie.  
“Aurum, are you ok?“    
He didn't show any reaction to her question, only continued looking at the screen.

"Aurum?" She repeated, reaching out to touch his shoulder and making him jump. He stared wide eyed at her until he realized who she was. Just as he did, his features relaxed and a shy smile began forming in his lips.

"Belle! I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming inside" he said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Rum, did you sleep tonight?"

"Of course I did" he lied. She didn't need to know the truth. Belle squinted her eyes, seeing right through him.

"Look, if you want to talk to anyone about it, I'll be right here." She offered kindly and sat down on her table with a sigh. And began getting ready for the day.

Gold had been in the middle of typing an email to a writer telling them they would accept to print their book, his fingers skilfully dancing across the keyboard, and his eyes locked on the screen, the familiar task comforting him, when one of Zelena's assistants came over to his station.

"Mr. Gold, boss wants to see you. Right now." He said without emotion on his voice.

Gold made a pained noise, which did not go unnoticed by his preoccupied colleague, but got up anyway. Walsh didn't even need to tell him what was Zelena wanted. It was all common to him at this point. The disgust, the pain, the self loathing. There was no escaping. Not anymore.

He felt tears pickling the corners of his eyes and bit back a sob. Crying never helped him, and he knew it'd only make things worse. He forced one foot in front of the other as he walked through the green walls and black carpets. Walsh diverted paths with him, knowing the man had already traced that path many times as he entered a corridor going to another section of the print.

Gold stopped in front of a dark mahogany door. He raised his hand to knock, but used to dry some tears first. He then knocked softly on the worn out wood, hoping she wouldn't listen and he'd be able to go away with an alibi. But he'd never been lucky.

"Come in, darling!" She chirped from inside. Gold got in, and braced himself for the hours to come.

__________________

Belle threw herself on her bed, facing the ceiling. The floor under the bed created, alerting the other inhabitant of the house of her presence. "Home already, darling?" Collette asked her daughter as she entered her room.

Collette didn't need to leave the house for her work. She was a writer, and a good one at that. Although she tried to write since she was very young, Belle didn't have the same talent as her mother. She was taking the last bite of a cupcake that was probably from their family's café across the street.

"Mama, how do we help someone who doesn't want to be helped?" Belle didn't bother look at her mother, she had felt the weight shift in the mattress that indicated that the woman had sat down.

"Belle? What's the matter?" She asked with a frown. Her daughter had been good with dealing with people since she was very little, and it wasn't very common that she needed help deciphering other people's feelings. Her own, yes, but not other people's.

Belle explained her mother the subject tickling her head. She told her of the man she had wanted to befriend since her first day in the print office, and how he never let her get close. She described the glassy eyes, the forced smiled, the dishelved hair and the fragile frame. Collette, as always, tried to help her child. The mother had a hint of what was going on. But it was her Belle who knew the man better. And, if she wanted to help him, she needed to get closer to him. So Collette told her so.

"A date?" Belle blushed red at her mother's suggestion.

"That's not what I said, dearest." She shook her head fondly. Her girl had a tendency to hearing what she wanted to. "You can ask him out as friends, of course. I'm sure he'd love your father's café."

Belle though it for a moment. Maybe meeting outside of their job would help him get out of his class. Yes, that did sound like a good idea. 

"Thank you, mom" She finally got up and sat properly in front of her mother, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Glad to be of help! Now..." She grabbed the remote control from her daughter's bedside table "you did promise you'd rewatch the season of our show I didn't see yet"

Belle groaned. "But the writing is terrible! Spoiler alert, Arabella decides that guy who tried to kill her is trustworthy and goes to live with him!"

Collette gaped at her daughter. "You better be kidding, dearest, because if you're not, I'm going to the studio and there's going to be blood"

Belle laughed and settled herself between her pillows. Tomorrow, she'd do something about Gold. But today, she'd just let herself enjoy the company of her mother.

______________________

Gold entered his apartment feeling like a living dead. Or maybe a ghost. But definitely not human, just a shadow of what he had once been. He felt like all energy had been drained away from him. That was, until he heard a cheerful laughter that had him straightening up and opening an honest smile.

"Papa!" Bae came running to him from the door that let to the living room and threw his little arms around his neck, and Gold retributed the hug eagerly. He was followed by an adorable little girl, with messed blonde curls bumping on her head, who shouted "Uncle Aurum!" before joining the hug.

"Careful, children!" The blondie's mother was the last one to come from the living room, afraid that the two five year olds would make the poor man fall to the ground. Mary Margaret was currently a stay at home mother, and she always did Aurum the kindness of looking after Bae and picking him up at school, for which he'd be eternally grateful, especially because their children liked each other so much.

"Papa, we brought ingredients on our way home! Could you bake us some cookies?" Bae asked as he jumped up and down and both children began a choir of "pleeeaase".

Gold would have liked nothing more than to lock himself in his room for a week, but seeing their hopeful faces he knew he couldn't let them down. So he dutifully went to the kitchen and began preparing Bae's favorite red berries with white chocolate chips cookies, the scent filling the house as the goodies baked. 

After they were ready, the four of them took a plate full of cookies to the living room, where there were toys scattered around the floor. Mary Margaret apologized for the mess when the children weren't listening, but he didn't care. His Bae looked so happy as he watched the sunset and ate cookies with his best friend he couldn't even care. If Bae was happy. Everything was fine. If Bae was happy, he could make it.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist the young swanfire... Also, I'm powered by comments, so you know...


End file.
